Australia vows Afghan commitment

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Australian PM Kevin Rudd has told Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a visit to Kabul he is committed to the "long haul" in Afghanistan. Mr Rudd also visited some of the 1,000 Australian troops in Uruzgan province.

Mr Rudd, who has said he will pull out combat troops from Iraq, stressed he was committed to reconstruction and stability in Afghanistan.

Failure 'not an option'

Mr Karzai thanked Mr Rudd for the work Australian special forces were doing alongside Dutch soldiers in the volatile Uruzgan province.